Needle bed



Patented May 9, 1939 UNITED STATES 4 Claims.

This case concerns needle beds, more particularly such beds for circularknitting machines of the type wherein needles reciprocate in slots ortricks. The construction includes strips which go to make up the wallsof said slots, these strips being inserted in shallow grooves in acylinder and being so constructed that they retain said cylinder in moreor less permanent relationship to its support. It is a special featureof the construction involved that an extremely thin cylinder can beemployed so that in small sizes a maximum of space is available withinthe cylinder.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a section showing the invention as applied to a cylinder ofthe rotary type;

Fig. 2 is a section showing about half of the cylinder and illustratingthe clamping member which secure the entire assembly in position as aunit;

Fig. 3 is a detail of the means employed to prevent relative movementbetween the cylinder and its driving gear; and

.Fig. 4 is a detail of one wall strip or insert.

In knitting machines of the type described, especially in hosierymachines of the smaller sizes there has been very little room within thecylinder itself, this being a distinct handicap in working take-ups andthe like which have to be attached to the fabric within that space inthe cylinder. In cylinders as previously constructed, whether of solidone piece type or built up with walls formed as inserts, the cylindersection itself had to be of considerable thickness to accommodate boltsor screws which were employed to attach the cylinder to a base or to adriving gear such as that shown in this case. In the construction hereinillustrated the inserts which act as walls between which needlesreciprocate act to retain the cylinder portion in permanent engagementwith a base or driving gear as the case may be. Referring to the figuresof drawing, a cylinder I is made up with shallow slots cut thereinwithin which are assembled the wall strips 2, these wall strips beingformed in a particular manner. The tricks or slots within said cylinderdo not extend to the upper end of the same but terminate beneath acircumferential groove 3 within which projections 4 engage. These stripsare preferably a tight fit in the cylinder slots and may be formed inthe general manner indicated in Lawson et al. Patent No. 1,899,278 or inany other suitable way so as to provide parallel sided slots betweenwhich needles reciprocate.

Said cylinder rests upon driving gear 5 of any 55 convenient type, ormight rest upon the base of PATENT OFFICE" NEEDLE BED Robert H. Lawson,Pawtucket, R. I., assignor to Hemphill Company, Central Falls, It. 1., acorporation of Massachusetts Application January 14, 1936, Serial No.59,106

machine in the event that said cylinder were stationary instead ofrotating. Each strip has at its lower end a notch 6 which provides aprojecting shoulder l on which segments of a clamping ring 8 engage.These segments are drawn down toward gear 5 by means of a series ofscrews or other attaching means 9 so that when all the said clampingmembers are tightened down on a shoulder 1, these strips will drawcylinder l permanently into engagement with the gear 5. The projections4 on the strips are downwardly inclined to engage with thecorrespondingly inclined edge of groove 3 so that they will tend to lockthemselves in position in slots in the cylinder.

The cylinder and inserts will be centered relative to the gear 5 sincethe cylinder fits within counterbore l0 and the lower ends of stripsseat Within a slightly larger counterbore H. For the purpose of assuringthat the entire assembly rotates as a unit, an angular piece 52 attachedby one of the clamping screws 9' which is slightly longer than the otherprojects upwardly in a slot 13 in the gear and into another slot I4 inthe cylinder; this is shown in detail in Fig. 3.

A stitch ring l5 having sinker slots cut therein as shown rests on thetop of cylinder l and would be of correspondingly thinner section so asnot to restrict the enlarged opening now provided within the cylinder.The usual ring l6 which supports the sinker assembly rests upon theshouldered part Ill at the upper ends of the strips and is clamped inposition by the usual set screws It]. It is to be understood that eachof the strips is to be formed of suitable hardened material and that itwill not be necessary to harden the cylinder itself since all wear willbe between needles and strips so that the cylinder itself need be of nohardened material. The thickness of the cylinder need be no more thansuflicient to provide adequate strength and rigidity and does not haveto accommodate any bolts or screws threaded into the same which havenecessitated additional thickness as previously mentioned.

The invention has been described relative to a circular machine of aparticular type, but may be of use in any machine wherein needlesreciprocate in slots or tricks and wherein it is of advantage toconserve space as before described. The invention is not to be limitedexcept by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A needle bed having a support, a cylinder centered within saidsupport and having grooves therein within which strips are inserted toform needle walls, interengaging means between said strips and cylinderand clamping means at the lower ends of strips for securing them to saidsupport, said interengaging means being so constructed that when stripsare clamped at their lower ends they will be held within the cylinderand the cylinder will be held in fixed position on said support.

2. A needle bed for knitting machines having a support constructed as arotating driving element, a cylinder centered within said support andmeans for preventing rotation between said 'cylinder and support, stripswithin grooves in said cylinder, said strips having shoulders adja centtheir lower ends and hooked projections engaging a complementary part ofsaid cylinder at the upper ends, clamping rings attached above saidsupport for engaging said shoulders whereby the strips, cylinder andsupport will be maintained and driven as a unit.

3. A needle bed including a cylinder, a support and inserted wallsmaintained in grooves in said cylinder, said walls having interengagingportions thereon for engagement with a cooperating part of said cylinderand a shoulder at their lower ends whereby they are retained downwardlyagainst a support, the construction being such that the cylinder is notdirectly attached to the support but is retained in working engagementtherewith as said strips are clamped downwardly against the support.

4. A strip for insertion in a needle bed of the type describedcomprising an elongated needle guiding portion, a shoulder projectingfrom one edge of the strip adjacent to its lower end and constructed tobe engaged by a retaining element for holding the strip downwardlyagainst a support and within the needle bed, and another projection'adjacent to the other end of the strip and projecting from the oppositeedge thereof for engaging the needle bed constructed in a manner toprevent withdrawal of the strip and to hold the cylinder in engagementwith a support substantially as described.

ROBERT H. LAWSON.

